The application of retrospective luminescence dosimetry in areas affected by fallout from the semipalatinsk nuclear test site: an evaluation of potential.

Luminescence retrospective dosimetry techniques have been applied with ceramic bricks to determine the cumulative external gamma dose due to fallout, primarily from the 1949 test, in populated regions lying NE of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in Altai, Russia, and the Semipalatinsk region, Kazakhstan. As part of a pilot study, nine settlements were examined, three within the regions of highest predicted dose (Dolon in Kazakshstan; Laptev Log and Leshoz Topolinskiy in Russia) and the remainder of lower predicted dose (Akkol, Bolshaya Vladimrovka, Kanonerka, and Izvestka in Kazakshstan; Rubtsovsk and Kuria in Russia) within the lateral regions of the fallout trace due to the 1949 test. The settlement of Kainar, mainly affected by the 24 September 1951 nuclear test, was also examined. The bricks from this region were found to be generally suitable for use with the luminescence method. Estimates of cumulative absorbed dose in air due to fallout for Dolon and Kanonerka in Kazakshstan and Leshoz Topolinskiy were 475 +/- 110 mGy, 240 +/- 60 mGy, and 230 +/- 70 mGy, respectively. The result obtained in Dolon village is in agreement with published calculated estimates of dose normalized to Cs concentration in soil. At all the other locations (except Kainar) the experimental values of cumulative absorbed dose obtained indicated no significant dose due to fallout that could be detected within a margin of about 25 mGy. The results demonstrate the potential suitability of the luminescence method to map variations in cumulative dose within the relatively narrow corridor of fallout distribution from the 1949 test. Such work is needed to provide the basis for accurate dose reconstruction in settlements since the predominance of short-lived radionuclides in the fallout and a high degree of heterogeneity in the distribution of fallout are problematic for the application of conventional dosimetry techniques.

[The effect of metronidazole on the radiosensitivity of cancer of the uterine cervix]. / Vliianie metronidazola na radiochuvstvitel'nost' raka sheiki matki.

A comparative study of the effect of rectal administration of metronidazole on radiosensitivity of cervical cancer with relation to tumor sizes and a Hb level was conducted. The effect of a direct tumor reaction on survival was investigated. Rectal administration of metronidazole proved to be effective in large tumor sizes and a low Hb level. The use of metronidazole resulted in an increase in the number of patients with complete tumor regression and an increase in their survival. A low Hb level is an independent prognostic factor in radiation therapy of cervical cancer leading to an increase in tumor radiosensitivity.

[Intratumoral and parametric administration of metronidazole in the radiotherapy of cancer of the cervix]. / Vnutriopukholevoe i parametral'noe vvedenie metronidazola pri luchevoi terapii raka sheiki matki.

The paper is concerned with analysis of the results of radiation therapy of cervical cancer and intratumoral administration of metronidazole (124 patients with tumors, Stage IIB and III). At the end of the treatment, complete tumor regression in the intervention group (with metronidazole) was noted in 91% (irrespective of a stage of disease), in the control group (without metronidazole)--in 51% of the patients.

Intratumoral and parametrial infusion of metronidazole in the radiotherapy of uterine cervix cancer: preliminary report.

In a recently started clinical trial, the short-term effects of radiotherapy of cervix cancer Stage IIb and III in combination with topical infusion of metronidazole solution were evaluated by determining the local clearance rate and cytologic damage in randomized and non-randomized cases. In regard to the short term effects the combined treatment was found to be superior to treatment without metronidazole.

[Hormonal and immunological changes in breast cancers with different growth rates]. / Gormonal'nye i immunologicheskie izmeneniia pri rake molochnoi zhelezy s razlichnoi skorost'iu rosta.

Thirty-four breast carcinomas revealed unequal growth rates their doubling time ranging 12-150 days. Steroid hormone levels and immunologic vigor were found to significantly differ in patients with different growth rates. Higher rates were associated with more pronounced systemic disorders.

[Evaluation of the results of treatment of lung cancer based on different rates of tumor growth]. / Otsenka rezul'tatov lecheniia raka legkogo s razlichnoi skorost'iu rosta opukholi.

The authors made a retrospective comparative analysis of the results of treatment of 336 lung cancer patients using surgical, radiation and drug techniques taking into account the rate of tumor growth. Differences were observed both in the frequency and terms of survival rates in surgical treatment and markedness of regressive changes in conservative methods of treatment.

[Combined radiotherapy of esophageal cancer]. / Sochetannaia luchevaia raka pishchevoda.

The paper is concerned with the results of combined radiotherapy of 60 esophageal cancer patients. Indications for combined radiotherapy were the minimum lumen of the esophagus (8-10 mm), limited local spreading of a tumor, and the absence of distant metastases. Among the patients there were 46 men, 14 women, their mean age was 56-8.3 yrs. The mean duration of life of the dead patients was 16.2-7.2 months. No cardiac or pulmonary complications were observed. The 3-year survival rate was 26.4-6.9% and the 5-year survival rate was 17.8-6.1%.

[Induction of tumor-like growth in a culture of mycelial fungi--a potential experimental model of multistage carcinogenesis]. / Induktsiia opukholepodobnogo rosta v kul'ture mitselial'nykh gribov--vozmozhnaia éksperimental'naia model' mnogostadiinogo kantserogeneza.

A microbiological model of two-stage experimental carcinogenesis is described. Induction of tumor-like growth in mycelial fungus Fusarium bulbigenum var. blasticola culture was shown to include: (1) initiation by carcinogenic mutagens and (2) promotion or reversible morpho-energy transformation of the cell.

Anaemia as a prognostic factor for the therapeutic effect of radiosensitizers.

Results are reported of a clinical trial on the effect of metronidazole as an adjuvant radiosensitizer in the radiation treatment of cervix carcinomas in advanced stages. Analysis of the results was made with regard to the local clearance of the tumour and with haemoglobin level as a stratifying factor (less than 120 g/l or greater than/equal to 120 g/l at presentation). With no metronidazole treatment, the results in anaemic patients were inferior in comparison to patients with normal haemoglobin level. Metronidazole significantly improved the results in the anaemic cases, but had no effect on the non-anaemic patients. Without stratification with respect to anaemia, no significant difference between the metronidazole-treated and untreated control group was noted. It is concluded that anaemia has a prognostic value, and anaemic patients may represent a particular group for which hypoxic cell sensitizers can be expected to improve the effect of radiotherapy.

[Hemoglobin level--a prognostic factor of the effectiveness of metronidazole in radiotherapy of cancer of the cervix uteri]. / Gemoglobin krovi--prognosticheskii faktor éffektivnosti metronidazola pri luchevoi terapii raka sheiki matka.

A clinical trial was performed in 339 patients with Stages IIB, IIIB cervical carcinoma to test the effect of radiotherapy in combination with metronidazole. When the overall material was evaluated, no significant difference in the local clearance rate of tumors in metronidazole-treated and untreated patients was revealed. However, when the case material was subdivided into a group of anemic patients (hemoglobin less than 120 g/l) and a group of patients with normal hemoglobin levels (hemoglobin greater than 120 g/l) the data indicated that metronidazole therapy improved significantly the results in the anemic patients. The results in the non-anemic patients were not influenced, to any significant extent, by the drug.

[Vascularization--a prognostic indicator of radiation sensitivity of laryngeal cancer]. / Vaskuliarizatsiia--prognosticheskii pokazatel' radiochuvstvitel'nostiraka gortani.

Vascularization of laryngeal tumors in 79 patients was determined using a specially devised method. According to the quantity of capillaries in a visual field 3 degrees of vascularization were singled out. A close correlation between the vascularization of tumors and their radiocurability was revealed. In poorly vascularized tumors the local regression and 5-year survival were significantly lower than those in richly vascularized tumors.

[Dynamic fractionation of the radiation treatment of lung cancer with different rates of tumor growth]. / Dinamicheskoe fraktsionirovanie luchevogo lecheniia raka legkogo pri razlichnoi skorosti rosta opukholi.

The paper is concerned with the results of radiotherapy of inoperable lung cancer patients. The efficacy of dynamic and conventional fractionation regimens was evaluated in relation to the tumor growth rate and size. The tumor growth rate was shown to be of importance for a local radiation effect: the higher growth rate was, the more pronounced tumor lesion and resorption were. A close relationship between the regression intensity and patients' survival was shown.

The growth rate of bone sarcomas and survival after radiotherapy with tourniquet-induced hypoxia: a clinical study.

The volume doubling time of primary bone sarcomas and lung metastases was determined by measurements made on serial radiographs. For the primary tumors, the volume doubling times were log-normally distributed and varied in the range of 20--200 days with a mean around 50 days. The volume doubling times of the metastases also showed a log-normal distribution in the range of 10--100 days, but with a mean twice as short as that of the primates. Radiation therapy was given with three--four doses of 20--25 Gy to the tumors that, together with the surrounding normal tissues, had been made hypoxic by the application of a tourniquet. Amputations were not performed unless required eventually by some serious late radiation damage, such as grave functional deficiency, and/or painful fibrosis and ankyloses. In no case did microscopic examination of the amputated tissues reveal the persistence of any viable, neoplastic cells. The five-year survival of a total of 69 patients was 26%. Survival expectancy was found to be closely related to the volume doubling time of the tumors, as was the incidence of the metastases. The data stress the importance of volume doubling time as a predictive factor and indicate, furthermore, that treatment with a few massive radiation doses in combination with tourniquet-induced hypoxia is effective in the local control of bone sarcomas. The several late reaction of the normal tissues to the treatment will, however, require amputations in most of the five-year survivors.

[Clinical x-ray characteristics and growth kinetics of Ewing's tumor]. / Kliniko-rentgenologicheskaia kharakteristika i kinetika rosta opukholi Iuinga.

The clinico-roentgenological peculiarities of the course of Ewing's sarcoma depending on tumor localisation were studied in 66 patients (29 in diaphysis and 37 in metaphysis). Tumor growth rates versus localisation (43 cases) and end results (55 cases) wee compared. The malignancy and growth rate of diaphysic tumors appeared to be higher. This was matched by lower survival rates. Statistical data on growth rates of tumor and survival are presented.